The person who 'ignites' the passion for digital technology in the highlands.
For nearly 30 years, Mr. Lo Xuan Duc (born in 1961), a Thai ethnic minority member and Secretary of the Party Branch of Lien Phuong village, Chau Kim commune (Que Phong district), has been dedicated to serving the people and managing the village. He is not only a leading figure in terms of words and actions, pioneering household economic development; he is also an inspiring figure in innovation and the application of information technology in village leadership and administration.
Khanh Ly - Thanh Phuc - Technical support: Hong Toai • June 5, 2025
Following the locals' directions, we walked to the end of a breezy concrete road, flanked by golden rice fields ready for harvest, and arrived at the home of Lo Xuan Duc, the Party Secretary of Lien Phuong village.
Seeing visitors arrive, the man, who had nearly 30 years of experience as a village official and was engrossed in his computer, quickly looked up with a bright smile and explained: "I'm taking the opportunity to draft a few announcements to send to the Zalo group for officials and party members to keep informed because today is harvest season, and everyone is busy working in the fields..."
Reportedly, Lien Phuong village was formed by merging three villages (Lien Minh, Choi, and Mong) with 200 households and 987 inhabitants, mainly of the Thai ethnic group. The Party branch has 58 members. Due to the large geographical area and numerous Party members, according to Party branch secretary Lo Xuan Duc, accessing information technology and applying it in leadership and management is an essential need. Therefore, when provided with a computer, he independently learned how to use it and draft documents.
Initially facing many difficulties and uncertainties, but with determination and perseverance, the "leader" of the Lien Phuong village Party branch overcame his challenges and became proficient in using computers to serve the Party and the people.
Besides drafting documents and searching for information on the Internet, he also created separate files to manage party members, track the progress of implementing branch resolutions, the recruitment of new party members, and other issues in the village. Everything was stored on the computer, making it easier to review and manage; with just a click of the mouse, documents related to the party work of the Lien Phuong village branch appeared.
"In the digital age, to effectively carry out Party work at the grassroots level, it's no longer enough to just have a notebook and pen; computers and the internet are essential tools," said Mr. Lo Xuan Duc.
To facilitate communication, he created a Zalo group connecting all party members in the branch to share meeting times and send relevant reports in advance for members to review. Besides the branch's Zalo group, there are also Zalo groups for village officials, branch leaders, and self-governing group leaders, etc. Therefore, the transmission and reception of information is quick and timely, helping party members quickly grasp directives from higher levels and disseminate them to the people.
Not only was he a pioneer in applying IT in management and administration, the "leading figure" of Lien Phuong village also skillfully propagated and mobilized cadres, Party members, and the people to implement the resolutions of the Party branch. For example, recognizing that bamboo shoots could bring significant income and improve people's living standards, he, together with the Party committee, issued a Party branch resolution on protecting and developing the bamboo shoot model on nearly 1 hectare.
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This plant grows in natural forests with good canopy cover and moist soil. It has a sweet, slightly bitter taste. According to the Thai ethnic group, bamboo shoots emerge from the ground when the first thunder of the year strikes, and when they reach about 1 meter in height, they can be harvested. Early-season bamboo shoots cost 50,000 VND/kg, while during peak season they cost 25-30,000 VND/kg.
Mr. Lo Chi Trung from Lien Phuong village said: "Previously, bamboo shoots grew naturally. Now, following the Party branch's resolution, my family, like many other households, has followed the example of Party branch secretary Lo Xuan Duc in expanding the area, caring for and clearing the surrounding vegetation so that the bamboo shoots can grow well. People in the village also support each other with seedlings to expand the area, and also provide seedlings to people in neighboring villages who need them."
“Bamboo shoots have been harvested sporadically from the second lunar month until now, with some households harvesting several hundred kilograms, providing a stable income. Besides pioneering bamboo shoot cultivation, Party Secretary Lo Xuan Duc also encourages people to use social media to promote this mountain specialty, and ships goods directly to customers' homes upon request, resulting in a shortage of harvested produce,” Mr. Trung said.
Aiming for sustainable poverty reduction, the Lien Phuong village Party branch also focuses on leading and directing the people to apply science and technology to farming and livestock breeding, supplying high-yield and high-quality rice varieties such as Japonica and Khau Cay Noi glutinous rice for large-scale cultivation, converting water-scarce rice fields to sugarcane, cassava, and other crops, creating conditions for people to develop production and increase their income.
The entire village has a total rice paddy area of 47.5 hectares, with an average yield of 50 quintals/hectare. The villagers have boldly converted 4.5 hectares of water-scarce rice paddies, along with 2.8 hectares of alluvial land, to cultivate sugarcane, cassava, and various vegetables, resulting in high yields and productivity.
In particular, sugarcane yields range from 80-150 tons/hectare/season, cassava from 100-150 tons/hectare/season; and vegetables yield 2.5 tons. Besides promoting livestock farming (buffaloes, cows, pigs, goats), the people of Lien Phuong village also leverage their strengths to develop a poultry flock of 4,045 birds; and have fish ponds covering a total area of 4.5 hectares, estimated to yield 12 tons/year. The Party branch also leads the villagers in effectively caring for and protecting the forest, covering a total area of 2,549.89 hectares. In the production forest near the village, the people plant acacia, cinnamon, mahogany, and teak trees interspersed, creating a significant source of income.
Propaganda activities, appeals, and mobilization of people to build new rural areas through social media were also strongly implemented by Mr. Lo Xuan Duc and the Party branch committee, management board, and local associations and organizations.
In 2024, the Lien Phuong village Party branch directed the village management board to coordinate with the Chau Kim commune Youth Union to install streetlights worth over 50 million VND, and organize the planting of trees around and along the road corridors worth over 1,500,000 VND. In addition, the village mobilized the people to expand the volleyball court with a total cost of 45,000,000 VND; built a concrete road within the fields and added earth to the road corridor with a total length of 750 meters.
Leading us on a tour of the village along wide, paved roads, Party Branch Secretary Lo Xuan Duc expressed: “All leadership of the Party Branch is based on resolutions. Any unachieved tasks are continued, and completed tasks are evaluated before moving on to others. However, everything is geared towards the benefit of the people and the development of the community. At the same time, during implementation, Party members must take the lead so that the villagers can follow.”
Therefore, even in the propaganda and mobilization efforts to encourage people to change their mindset and practices in production and business, the "leader" of Lien Phuong village did not just talk; he also demonstrated his keen insight into economic development.
Besides growing high-quality rice, bamboo shoots, and over 1 hectare of acacia trees, his family also focuses on livestock farming with a herd of 5 buffaloes and cows, and a pig herd of over 60 at its peak. In addition, they have purchased a 4-seater car so that "whenever someone needs a ride, we can provide transportation services."
Having dedicated his entire life to his homeland, Lo Xuan Duc, the "leading figure" of Lien Phuong village, has nearly 30 years of experience as a village official, serving as a production team leader, cooperative chairman, head of the Fatherland Front committee, and then as Party Secretary and village head for many terms.
Commenting on him, Comrade Ha Minh Tuan – Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of the People's Committee of Chau Kim commune – said: “In every position, Party member Lo Xuan Duc has always been a pioneer and role model, fulfilling his duties to the Party, the people, and the community.”